Brandon Carr/MDN Issac Gutierrez, far right, one of the owners of Taco Feliz, is pictured with translator and fellow staff member Natasha Hinojosa, left of him, all with other employees.

Issac Gutierrez and his staff are bringing the heat to Minot with the newly opened Taco Feliz Mexican restaurant.

The establishment, owned by Gutierrez and some partners, opened its doors to the public on Jan. 20, at 1535 S. Broadway. And so far customers can’t get enough, he says.

The restaurant has a perfect score of five out of five through two weeks’ of service. According to Google reviews, customers like Victoria Saenz wrote, “Super yum!! Good, fresh food, the rice was perfect, taco meat on point, and the salsa…YUM!!” Grant Hadrava: “Authentic Mexican food, clean, good value. The tacos are my favorite.” Ariana Meixner: “The lengua and tripa tacos are absolutely amazing! The customer service was great! I will be going back!”

Taco Feliz specializes in street tacos, which are small shells filled with seasoned meat, chili, and an assortment of vegetables. The restaurant has a fresh toppings bar for patrons to dress their tacos to their liking.

Issac Gutierrez’s translator and fellow staff member Natasha Hinojosa said, “Street tacos are a signature dish from Mexico. We at Taco Feliz differ from the other restaurants like Taco Johns and Taco Bell. Here, it’s like building your (own) taco. … Everything is prepared fresh at 8 a.m. and put on the hot bar. If it’s not available, we will cook it right in front of you on the grill.”

Taco Feliz recently added breakfast to its menu while also changing the hours of operation. The current hours are 11 a.m.- 9 p.m. Sunday through Saturday, which consists of lunch and dinner food items. For breakfast lovers, since Feb. 1, menudo, a traditional Mexican soup, was added to the menu as a substitute on weekends only. Their breakfast hours will be from 7 a.m.- 11 a.m. once the staff is full.

Growing up in Mexico, tacos, fajitas, and burritos were favorites for the Guiterrez family. Every item on the menu is a family-based dish.

“I want to thank all the employees and the people here in Minot for coming and helping promote Taco Feliz. Keep coming.”